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GAR COUPLING.

No. 60,'81'5. Patented Jan. 1, `1867. i Y

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

.E. ZORG-ER.

. CAR GOUPLING.

No. 60,815. PatentedJ-an. 1, 186'7 Fig. 2.

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din-iter tang ,atrnt @fitta IMPROVED GAR GOUPLING.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY C'QNCERN:

Beit knownv that I) EMANUEL Zossen, of Greensburg, Decatur eounty, Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful improvement'in Railroad Car Couplings; and I do hereby declare'the following` to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makiugpart of thisspeeiiieation. f My improvement relates to that class of devices by which cars are automatically coupled, and the rst part of -my invention consists '1n a peculiarshaped draw-head and catch, which act to receive and retain securely in position an ordinary connecting link. The second part-of my invention relates to a method of locking the catch of`my coupling, so that the link cannot be withdrawn by any unauthorizedpersou; and the third part of my invention consists in certain devices for adjusting the draw-bar, so as to enable the coupling of cars whose draw- `heads are at different heights, above the track or road level. In the accompanying drawings, l

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal. section through a ear-coupling embodying my improvement, the conneeting link being shown as engaged with the gravitating catch.

Figure 2 is a section taken at the' line zum, of fig. 1.

Figure r3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw-head, showing my gravitating catch elevated sonslto enable the withdrawal 0f ne `mmeamg lilik.

Figure 4 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the draw-head at theline z z, of g. 3; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of my gravitating catch, on an enlarged scale.

My draw-head, A, is attached to a draw-bar, a', and is provided with a customary flaring mouth, aj'foi the.

reception oi' the connecting link, S. The draw-head is composed of two-distinct members, B and C, of which-I term the part B the upper jaw, and the other part, C, the lower jaw said upper jaw having a double conver ging throat, bb', while the jaw C has 4only one inwardly inclined face, c, whose apex' is on ajlcvel withthe bottoni ofthe jaw, B, or nearly so. D, is a gravitatin g catch, hung on a pivot, E, and adapted to vibrate within thc vertical longitudinal slot, A', of the upper jaw, B, and the arm, F, of said catch is slotted-near its free end at f, for a purpose which will be hereafter described. The leg, G, of my gravitatiug catch, being that part of the deviee'which sustains the strain ofthe connecting link, is made heavier' and much stronger than thc arm, E, and the back part of this member is provided near its lower end with a concavity, H, which serves to hold the connecting link in aprper position, whilst the front portion of'sai'd'leg, G, 4has two chamfered faces, g g', which. enger u, V Shaped pocket, I, of the lower jaw, C, and bear against theshouldcr, z'. '.lhe shoulder, "i, is located a somewhat greater distance i'roniY the mouth of the draw-head than thc pivot, E, `so that the strain will have a tendency to force the upper jaw, B, and the lower jaw, C, asundcr before the gravitating catch will be pulled out from its bearing in the pocket, I. This arrange-ment of the shoulder, z', with reference to the position of the `pivot, E, enables the gravitating catch to act on the principle oi' an arch, so that the greater' the strain brought to bear upon said catch thcinore` securely it is held in position,provided the abutmcnts do notspring out oi'- thcir truc position, and the ,V shaped pocket, I, prevents any lateral displacement of the catch. Placed athwart the slot, A is a bar, having attached to it a staple, K, which passes through the slot, f, of v the arm, F, and when a padlock is connectedto said staple the catch can not be elevated so as to discngage' the link, S, without iii-st unloekingthe padlock. The catch can be operated by a rope, J, or, ii' preferred, a chain or rod may be substituted for the rope. In order to adjust the draw-head tocars of different heights, I provide the followin g device: the hanger, Ii, which supports the draw-bar, a', is inortised to receive two metallic friction plates, N N', and these plates areviorced to bear against the sides of said draw-bar by means of suitable springs, which springs may be of India-rubber, as. at O, of spring steel, as at l), oi of any other suitable material. By this' arrangement my draw-head carp be elevated or depressed, as maybe desired, and retained at any place untill the cars are coupled, when the ldraw-bar will equalie and adapt itself to the proper popition. The drannbm.7 ,r, is prevented from heingdepresnedtoo low by the stop R. The operation of my draw-head is as follows: Whentwo cars nrhreught together, the connecting link, S, is directed in a proper course to engage with the graritating catch, D,'bge means of the converging throat, a, and as soon as the link strikes said catch the latter is elevated and describes an are of a circle, as shown by the red arrow in iig. 1. The weight of the gravitating catch, andthe manner in which it is hung, compels it to descend and rest against the shoulder, z', tipe moment the link passes beyond the heel of said catch, Vand as soon as the train is started the strain which is thereby brought to 'bear upon the link, S, draws the end of the'latter into the concavity, H, where it remains as long as there is any strainon said link. Whenever a train is to be run for '.1y great distance without switching off or uncoupling any of the cars, the link can he secured in the draw-head so as to prevent its being displaced by simply attaching a padlock to the staple, K. This locking in of the link is not done to prevent itsbeing displaced by the motion of the train, as the weight of the gravitating catch is suiiicient to cause its retention, but it Ais done simply to prevent the cars from being uneoupled when not in motion, as when stopping at a station,

, or for the -purpose of receiving fuel, water, 83e., it being a very frequent occurrence for malicious persons to withdraw the ordinary coupling pins on such occasions, thereby compelling the train, after having been started,

to'return and attach the car which had been uncoupled. When it is desired to disconnect4 one car from the train, the hrakesmau or conductor has only to pull the rope, J', and the uncoupling is at once effected.

Among the lmany advantages which my coupling possesses over those now'in use the following may be enumerated: First. Its reliability and safety, as the cars couple themselves' the moment they are brought in contact with one another, and no amount of undulatory or lateral motion can disconnect them or injure the operative parts, besides which the cars can be uncouplcd without endangering the life or limb of the brakesman. The operative y parts of my coupling being completely enclosed within the draw-head, there is no chance of their being injured '5y anything dropping ou them, and not being exposed to the inclemencies of the weather, they are not liable to he frozen up in Winter or to become clogged with dust in summer. Another great advantage which is peculiar to this coupling consist-s in the means of locking the catch, so as to prevent the link from being withdrawn and stolen, which is a source of great annoyance and expense to railroad companies, and is frequently tho cause of fatal accidents.

My coupling is no more expensive than the ordinary-hind, and if it should become injured, it requires no great skill to repair it.

I'claim herein as newfand of my inveutionv 1. The hinged gravitating catch D, when constructed with the concavity H, andchamfered 'ifafces g g', and with the slotf, and used in combination with a draw-head with converging throat and V-Shaped-pecket I, and also in combination with the hinged bar 7c, said parts being constructed substantially in the manner und employed for the purpose set forth.. i l

2. In combinationl with the draw-bar a', and draw-head A, constructed and arranged to act automatically, substantially as set forth, I claim the frictionA plates N N', and tension springs O P, yfor holding the draw-head in any required position when coupling the cars, substantially as set forth.

In testimony oi' which invention I hereunto setAmy hand.

EMANUEL zoncnn.

Witnesses.

Guo. H. KNIGHT, JAMES H. LAYMAN. 

